Wound closure devices and methods are well known and typically include sutures, staples and tissue adhesives.
Most prevalent is the use of needles and sutures. Sutures generally provide a high tensile strength. Further, sutures are available for nearly each type of surgical procedure. In accordance, surgical sutures are typically available in a range of conventional sizes. The size of the suture used by the surgeon for any particular procedure is dependent from the type of tissue to be sutured, the relative size of the tissue structure, as well as the forces that will be applied to the suture by the approximated tissue after the surgical procedure has been completed.
Similarly, the type of sutures selected is dependent from the procedure. Non-absorbable sutures are typically used for applications such as cardiovascular surgery, vascular surgery, orthopaedic surgery, gastrointestinal surgery, and the like. Bioabsorbable sutures are typically used for applications such as plastic surgery, skin fixation and certain soft tissue approximation, and the like. A bioabsorbable suture may be used when extended tissue approximation or fixation is not required as long as the suture maintains adequate strength during the healing period, and it is desirable to replace the suture with autologous tissue such as skin or soft tissue during the healing process.
A general drawback of sutures is the dependence on the knot technique and patient-specific factors such as constitution of the tissue or skin to be treated, resulting in a certain risk of increased scar formation or dehiscence.
Further, sutures have the highest tissue reactivity. This is mainly due to the reason that sutures are “per se” recognized as foreign bodies in the body of a patient (mammal), and thus may elicit undesired inflammatory and in particular immunological responses. Such undesired responses may lead to post-operative complications which often require surgical reinterventions.
A material for suturing covered with cells that contributes in a biologically active way to wound repair is known from the EP 1 634 608 A1. However, when pulling such a material through a tissue to be treated, there is always the risk of peeling off the cells, thereby reducing the therapeutic effect of the cells and the material, respectively.
Thus, it could be helpful to provide a surgical suture material which avoids the known disadvantages. Moreover, it could also be helpful to provide a corresponding method of manufacturing.